Guitar Center Sessions: Billy Sheehan - Solo Bass Performance 

Steve Vai + Billy Sheehan= The greatest performance you've ever seen.

Looks like a very gentle, down to earth man. In all the videos/clinics he keeps answering the usual questions without looking bored to death and always keeping the explanations entertaining. I really admire this.

His bass playing feels like freedom

Billy has created his own sound and mastered bass through doing so. Nails the harmonics as well.. Perfect expression by bending the strings too!

Being a bassist myself he always inspires me to practice. Great guy and legend on the 4 strings,!!

Billy Sheehan is the best bass player on Earth and that's what Vai said...anyone who listened to Mr.Big agrees with that too...i just LOVE the way he plays bass no matter if Vai, Gilbert, Kotzen or any other musician plays-jamms with him

It's like Yngwie Malmsteen out of control and with only 4 strings.

I was the warm up band many times for Billy Sheehan Talas in NY back in early 80s still the best bass player I have ever seen just amazing 👏

Your all jealous!!! I know I am!!! Who can blow their wod with all kinds of super fast different licks and changes on the bass for 7:00 minutes?? Not you wankers posting!! Outstanding Mr. Sheehan!!! You have been the one to watch for 30 years!! Thank you!

Tremendous skill ALWAYS has musical merit. This is a lifetime devoted to an instrument. Yes...He IS God on bass.

PAY YOU RESPECTS PEOPLE!!! THIS RIGHT HERE IS A BASS GUITAR LEGEND!!!!!!

A lot of people are saying "OMG THURRS NO FEEL TO DA BASS SOLO", well he isn't trying to be groovy. This is just him showing off. Nothing more. Calm the fuck down, folks.

Wow! Insert Jaw drop here. I love his bass playing,he's such a class act also.

Billy has played & traded licks w/ my 2 favorite guitarists: Steve Vai & Paul Gilbert and held his own! He is phenominal and such a cool guy!

Couldn't agree more. Billy's solo's are like drum solos! I've always said that? Is it fantastic and catchy to listen to? No. Is it a perfect showcase of his mad chops? Hell yes,

it was something supernatural for me...

LOL. I had to go back and see it again. I think he did...

now that's what you called music freedom!

They compare Billy to God but it isn't fair, he is no Billy Sheehan.

one of the most amazing bassists of the decade.

Well, you have to take into consideration what a solo really is. It's a very self indulgent thing. Some people (especially the more tech players) look at it more "because i can" rather than how musical it is. It's your time to express yourself through your chosen medium, here it is a bass.

This is totally bad ass! Billy Sheehan is a bass god!

ele é fera demais...ele tem o estilo dele...abriu o territorio dele no mundo do baixo, só ele pisa, só ele sabe!Solo incrivel

His technique is just perfect. What a beast...

First time I heard billy let loose.....holy Jesus, what a monster!

no wonder why hes in the same band as paul gilbert, HOLY SHIT!!!!

Final boss of "Bass Hero"

This video is surprisingly inspirational, after watching this I now have something to really work toward.

my word!!

Jeesus miten hyvää tavaraa!

Amazing!! Billy is bad ass!

Where's the tab? ... Ok no

That pinky...

@SJ9495 He played with Vai, with Satriani and many others. With Paul Gilbert he played in Mr Big and he was also the bassist of the legendary G3 tours around Satriani/Vai... most inspiring fellow.

Amazing Amazing Amazing x 100000

This video was altered, Billy has 10 fingers on his fret hand. Someone used effects to remove the other 6, so we only see 4.

Es una bestia del bajo... S O R P R E N D E N T E He is a beast of the bass... A W E S O M E

No, you're going to use this as motivation for practicing every day so you too can get there.

Just watching this video is making my fingers tired :P Sheehan = God

Craziest stuff by Billy Sheehan so far. :P :P :P

Anyone who has to share the stage with Mr. Paul Gilbert is a God in my book.

I'm done. I give up on bass

Now I know what means the term: "Love at first sight."

Because they do not have the distribution rights to do so, some other company that DOES sell Hartke probably signed a contract for the distribution rights in the area.

~Just wow!

He enjoys it. It's fun to him, and people just happen to enjoy listening, so he does it for them. He gets to be a kid and do what's fun and get money, I'd do it too lol

best bass player ever

simply a god ...............

He's a full orchestra!

Kangen dia datang ke jakarta dan bandung lagi😀, billy sy tunggu kembali😀😀😀

amazing

dam bill and flea are my fav bassists

I salute u SIR BELLY SHEEHAN

Maybe because that is what people expects and what Billy gets paid to do. After all he has built a career around that. I personally get bored after 10 seconds of those solos, but I love his attitude and personality. And he surely has GREAT advises for new players.

Fine, ever.

I love how people listen to solo's from mad scientists of technique like this and expect them to play slow, soulful solo's, when it's obvious that the players are getting PAID TO WANK AWAY! If you were getting paid to goof off at something you were damned good at and loved to do, your solo's would be no different.

"...but that just makes it all the more confusing why he needs to do this." It could be just because it's fun.

I'm borrowing those licks @ 0:35. Ripping those double stops in forths. Like the term: "if you take licks from 1 person, it's plagiarism, if you take licks from many players, it's research" 😉

Bass. Wizard.

Holy shit I didn't know this was the guy that toured with Steve Vai. He's a total hoss!

He is the best bass player ever

Ohh, makes sense. Thanks

I'd love to see the look on the guys face that asked him to play the root note

Love this, but I'm still a die hard Entwistle and Cliff Burton fan for groove and speed.

❤

Oh, how I love comments like yours. It gives me something to laugh about after a long day. The ONLY thing he didn't do was to actually set it on fire. He's not amped up at a concert hall with 20,000 screaming fans pumped full of an adrenalinic musical high and pouring his soul out every 32nd note at a time, he's in freakin' Guitar Center, cramming 40 years of various bass techniques into a 7 minute improv solo. Keep practicing your 1-2 hours a day and get back with me in about 30 years.

Why are people giving this man so much shit for doing what he does best?

I agree that stuff like this isn't exactly listening material, but having those chops can't hurt, in case a real song calls for something tough. Besides, it _is_ impressive, and while 7 minutes of nonstop shredding is a bit much, a short display is still great.

MY BASS GOD

4.19 blew my mind!!! Bet his fingers have seen blood many a time!

Peart's can be musical. Heck with his newer like $1,000,000 set, he has a whole jazz hornline with him with the midi triggers n such.

Dios creo al mundo en 6 días y el 7mo dia se dedico a enseñarle a tocar el bajo a Billy sheehan

@suihkubad well yea! and he'll continue forward through next decade as he did :D

Intro part reminded me a lot of my hero, Cliff Burton.

Tem um punhado de guitarristas que não fazem isso nem na guitarra! muito virtuoso.

DLC Legendary Difficulty

@spinner1208 i second the brown note

Look at his pinky when he uses his third finger... It's moving just as fast as all the other fingers, but it's just in the air...

imagine how strong his grip must be, it takes serious finger strength to tap on a bass with low distortion

It’s kind of chilly anyway. Think I’m gonna burn my bass.

@Zavaga15 He did. Search "Steve Vai - Jiboom"

I've always wondered why Guitar Center doesn't sell Hartke..

He likes to, that's why:)

I liked the fast part.

People seem to forget the bass is a guitar lol

en lo unico que me parezco a billy tocando es que tambien puedo hacerlo con gorra...

soy bajista y siempre he admirado a billy sheehan,tremenda tecnica de ambas manos,tremendo bajista,estuve en una de sus clinics,pero sus solos nunca me llegan a transmitir algo,es como si le pegaran un cable de alta tension por detras cuando va hacer un solo,es mi humilde opinion.saludos.

2:54 ... raw speed

@SJ9495 Ok Thanks

What's not musical about his playing? Yeah, it's not rhythmic or has melody like traditional solos, but I find that what Billy plays is superb nonetheless. He's breaking outside the mold and plays what he feels, not what he should. IMO, he's taking music back to the root of it's definition in terms of art, the outpouring of self-expression. Sure music theory can teach you how to create and form music, but nothing can teach you how to feel and express it but your own love for it.

why nobody clap their hands?? I think I might collapsed if I'm standing in the crowd. He's my god Forever

@SJ9495 I Think He Play With Paul Gilbert

@MannyBlue65 oh wow, i hadn't even thought about that lol. oh well, free advertising for Sam Ash, which just happens to be directly across the street from the Guitar Center i shop at...ironic huh?

Shred Bass at it finast

@XiXGuitarDemonXiX lol yeah, but he's playing bass like you said..

Goddamn!!

@alixcho One for each pickup

Do You Think He'd Accept A Request From Me For Him To Be My Bassist?

Wow

snappin necks